1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector comprising a casing having within the casing at least two groups of electrically conducting connecting elements led through a fixing piece and fixed to the fixing piece. The connecting elements each have at one end a pin or a sleeve. The pins and/or sleeves of each group are disposed at a distance from each other and parallel to each other and exposed to the environment in a respective coupling section. An electrically conducting connection can be obtained with a corresponding group of matching connecting elements of another unit. Respective conductors of a cable led into the casing from outside are connected to respective connecting elements.
The invention relates in particular to a connector for use in the field of seismic exploration. Each group of the connector has two connecting elements. A cable has two conductors which are connected to the respective connecting elements. The connecting elements may be connected outside the connector to a string of geophones. One coupling section of the connector may be coupled to another connecting unit which is connected to a main cable which leads to a measuring and control unit. The other coupling section of the connector may be coupled to another connector, optionally via an extension cable provided with coupling pieces at the ends thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A connector of this type is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,741, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In the known connector the conecting elements consist of two parallel rods disposed next to each other which each have a sleeve at one end and a pin at the other end. Apparently, the rods are fixed at a relatively large distance from the ends of the rods in the center of a fixing piece. Each of the conductors are led in a loop through passages formed in the fixing piece and the ends of the conductors are fixed to the rods. The rods, the fixing piece, and an end section of the cable are received in a sealing manner in a rubber casing cast in a manner such that a coupling section of one connector can be plugged in a sealing manner into a coupling section of another connector, a pin being plugged into a sleeve to obtain an electrical contact at the same time. In another embodiment of this known connector one of the two groups of connecting elements of a connector comprises only pins and another group comprises only sleeves. For use in the field of seismic exploration one group of connecting elements comprises in this case a thick pin and a thin pin for two different polarities and the other group comprises a sleeve with large inside diameter and a sleeve with small inside diameter, respectively, for polarities which correspond to the respective pins.
The known connector has as a disadvantage the fact that it is not suitable for electrically connecting strings of geophones in series if a number of connectors are coupled to each other and each cable emerging from a connector is connected to a string of geophones.
Because the coupling sections of the known connectors are formed at the ends of the connecting elements formed by rods, if a number of connectors of this type are coupled in series, a corresponding number of strings of geophones being electrically connected with each other in parallel, a long rod of connectors merging into each other is produced. When used in the field the connecting elements, in particular the sleeves, may easily be damaged under these circumstances by bending of the rod.